The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-08-27
JIM; THE STORY OF A BIRD.

Jim was our pet bird. called him that
for my boy Jim at home, far off in the
States. Some day when you grow up
my little friends, you will know what
mans love for his children is, and may
you be spared the pain of separation
from an only son! Which would you like
to hear about first, the boy Jim or the
bird Jim. Probably the boy, because
you will want to know why he is away up
in the North, while his mother and /,
and our little daughter Ruth lived in
South America, in city named Rio de
Janeiro. This is the reason why: You
know that Brazil is great coffee-grow-
ing country, do you not?. Well, my bus
mess was shipping coffee to the United
States, and so we had to live in the trop-
les, where the people are neither indus
trious, nor active, nor progressive, and
where there were no good schools.
Jim was eight years old just the age
to learn, I am sure you are thinking-so
we were forced to send him home to a
school in New York State, while Ruth,
our bright, dark eyed girl was still SO
young, that we kept her with US yet
awhile. We knew we'll that the day
would come ere long, when we should
have to send her, too; but we never
spoke of it.
Our house stood in winding, rough
paved street, on high hill leading up from
the city, and overlooked the blue bay, in
closed in it's frame Of mountains, whose
peaks are so rugged and fantastic in
shape and outline. We could see the ships
come in from sea, and sometimes with the
help of field glass, we could even distin-
guish their names. We had garden in
front of the house and one on either side
and one in the rear. In this latter garden
we kept dozens of chickens-rare, fine
breeds-and you should have heard how
our bird Jim mimicked the timid "cheep!
cheep" of the tiny chicks, and the i'm
portant, motherly "clalck! cluck!" OF the
old hens as they went bustling around
the yard Jim came to us in this man
ner:
There is time in the year, in all hot
countries, when it becomes dangerous to
remain in the cities, on account of the
yellow fever. One summer when had
taken my family up into the mountains
to place called Palmeiras, little Ruth
one day found wounded bird in the
woods, near the house, where she was
walking with Antonio, our copeiro, or
man servant. The bird was big, plain
gray fellow-not handsome at all and
had evidently been bitten by snake or
tarantuIa, large, hairy, and very poi
sonous kind of spider-or some one of the
venomous creatures that abound in
South American forests. Ruth picked
him up and carried him home, and
she nursed him, with our help, until in a
few days he was hopping about and
chirping, and was almost able to fly.
There was celebrated naturalist travel
ing in Brazil at this time-a man of
sweet and kindly nature, who loved
creation, and of whom the little ones
were never afraid. You can all ask your
mother his name, little people, and read
his books when you are older, and learn
about his wonderful knowledge and his
discoveries, and above all what good
man he was. WE'LL this great and good
man came to make us visit of few
days, at our cottage and small Miss Ruth,
nokhin0 diannvad of onao hroY1 ohf n or
half-sick bird, wrapped up in shawl, to
show him. The professor was delighted.
"Why, my child, you have rescued a
Saba da Pria, the Brazilian hooking
Bird" he said; you are very fortunate
little girl. Do not let him get away.
Ask your father to buy you large cage for
him and when he gets well as he soon
will, you will see what famous singer
he will prove to be-" Ruth clapped her
hands and danced around the room for
very pride and happiness. TO think that
she, her own little self, had found this
precious Saba!
Now Roth already possessed a perfect
menagerie Of dogs and cats and birds, and
a scrap OF monkey and anaughty rooster
that was the terror OF the neighborhood,
and what not, but she did not tire of her
old pets when new one was given to
her as so many children do. She was a
loyal, faithful little soul, and il Jim was
her greatest fayorite it was not because
he was the latest arrival in her family,
but because she had saved his life.
Jim did grow to be a famous sing
er. 1 had roomy, comfortable cage
made for him to live in, and as he was a
young bird, he soon grew perfectly at